Semiconductor memory devices may be classified into volatile memory devices such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and nonvolatile memory devices, wherein in the volatile memory devices, data stored in a memory cell is lost when power thereof is turned off and in the nonvolatile memory devices, data is maintained even if power thereof is turned off. Examples of nonvolatile memory devices may include magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase-change random access memory (PRAM), and resistive random access memory (RRAM). Volatile memory devices typically have high integration degree and rapid operational speeds. On the other hand, nonvolatile memory devices typically have a lower integration degree and slower operational speeds than those of DRAMs.
Such nonvolatile memory devices have been widely developed in terms of improvement on integration degree, operational characteristics, low power operation, and data retention characteristics. Resistive memory devices have less deterioration in recording/reproducing, may be driven at a high temperature, and have data safety, compared with other nonvolatile memory devices. Also, the resistive memory devices may be driven at a high speed with low power consumption and highly integrated. However, when a recording operation is repeated, the cycling endurance of the resistive memory devices may be deteriorated.